Australia's mainstream Jewish communal organisations today thanked the thousands of people who made submissions and the hundreds more who gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Today is the last day of hearings. It is not the end of the Royal Commission’s process. The Commissioner will now consider the written record alongside the evidence given in the hearing room, and we will continue to assist the Commission as needed in the months ahead.
We are proud that as a community we have done everything possible to put our experiences on the record. Our hope is that it leads to lasting change in Australia that reduces and, over time, eliminates the violence and hatred directed at Jewish Australians, and their exclusion from parts of our society, especially in recent years.
The hearings over the past few months demonstrate clearly why this Royal Commission was needed, and they offer a roadmap for action. The community strongly supports the Royal Commission, and we trust the Commissioner to weigh the spoken, expert and written evidence in finalising her report.
This has been extremely confronting for our community, and we acknowledge the strength of everyone who engaged so openly and bravely with this process.
We also thank the Royal Commission witness support teams for the care they have shown to community members, most of whom have never participated in a process like this before.
Since the start of the Royal Commission, Jewish and other Australians have made around 20,000 written submissions, and more than two hundred people have given evidence.
Over nine hearing blocks, university students, teachers, small business owners, health workers, security staff, parents, and many others all gave evidence about their lived experience of antisemitism.
Among the compelling and often shocking testimony, the Commission heard from children who make calculations every morning about whether to be visibly Jewish, from a parent who described a Jewish school that now looks more like a prison, from a victim of the Bondi terror attack who was deep faked online while recovering in hospital after being shot, and from a parent whose family home was graffitied with swastikas.
Antisemitism doesn’t just exist in the firebombing of synagogues or the tragedy of Bondi. The many stories of lived experience show how antisemitism has crept into daily life.
Many witnesses became targets of online abuse after giving evidence. That abuse also forms part of the evidence the Commissioner is considering and serves as another reminder of the importance of its work.
None of this should be happening in Australia, and it is why so many people were willing to give evidence, and why this Commission matters. Antisemitism damages how connected we are as a community. Reducing it leaves every Australian better off, not only Jewish Australians.
Australia's mainstream Jewish communal organisations – the ECAJ, NSW JBOD, JCCV, ZFA, NCJWA, The Dor Foundation, AIJAC and Northfield Foundation – have been represented before the Commission by Arnold Bloch Leibler, acting pro bono, working with a team of counsel.
Quotes attributable to Peter Wertheim AM, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ)
“Our community has put its head, heart and soul into this Commission, providing the most detailed account of Jewish life in Australia ever put before a public inquiry. Australia is the only country in the world which has turned the spotlight on itself to examine its own record of antisemitism, and to do so with the seriousness of purpose that the issue clearly warrants. This is a cause for hope. Hundreds of people have told the truth about their everyday experience of antisemitism, and thousands more have provided detailed accounts through written submissions. We thank everyone who has made a contribution. The Commissioner has a great deal of evidence to weigh, and we trust her to do that carefully.”
Quotes attributable to Jeremy Leibler, President, Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA)
“History has taught us the cost of allowing antisemitism to go unanswered. The evidence before this Commission is a warning Australia cannot afford to ignore. We owe a profound debt to those who came forward, often at real personal cost. Our hope is that this record leads to clear recommendations and practical action to keep Jewish Australians safe and strengthen Australia as a whole.”
Quotes attributable to Lynda Ben-Menashe, President, National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA)
“The Commission has listened deeply to the lived experience of Australian Jewish women, many of whom spoke publicly for the first time about what antisemitism has meant in their daily lives. Women absorb and carry much of the cultural load from what happens to their families in the world and also at home and I am proud of everyone who shared their story. My hope is that as a result our country becomes more connected and safer for all Australian families.”
Quotes attributable to Philip Zajac, President, Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV)
“From the first day, our community has engaged constructively and wholeheartedly with the Commission, and we look forward to seeing its final report. This has been a difficult and confronting process, but our fervent wish is that the Commission's work can lead to lasting change, so that antisemitism in Australia becomes a thing of the past.”
Quotes attributable to Michele Goldman, Chief Executive Officer, The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
“I am incredibly proud of our community and the extraordinary courage and honesty shown by those who have spoken publicly about their experiences. Witnesses from all walks of life, including leaders, rabbis, artists, teachers, parents and students, have helped shine a light on the real and growing impact of antisemitism. My hope is that by listening, learning and acting together, we emerge from this process as a stronger, more connected and more united country.”
Quotes attributable to Tahli Blicblau, Chief Executive Officer, The Dor Foundation
“Giving evidence to this Commission was important, but it came at a cost. Many witnesses were targeted with a barrage of antisemitic and other hateful abuse on social media after they gave testimony. That is exactly why the Commission’s work – to make Australians safer in the physical world and online – is so important and so urgent. That so many witnesses still chose to come forward says something about their strength and how much this matters to them. We thank them, and we now look forward to the Commissioner's final report.”
Quotes attributable to Joel Burnie, Executive Manager, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC)
“The Commission heard about the antisemitism Jewish Australians confront in everyday life. It also raised whether Australian institutions still meet the standards of safety and equal protection all Australians expect. Whether in the workplace, at universities, in hospitals or at aged care facilities, Jewish Australians deserve to be safe and free from vilification.”
Quotes attributable to Fran Ereira, Chief Executive Officer, Northfield Foundation:
“Antisemitism does not stay within one community. It affects every Australian and the kind of free, fair and safe country we all want to live in. We strongly support this Commission and are deeply grateful to those who came forward to share their experiences. The real measure of its impact will be whether the evidence gathered leads to lasting change strengthening our institutions, reducing antisemitism and building the social cohesion that underpins a safe, united Australia.”
ENDS
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